


A Welcome Redundancy

by Pinkgrasshopper



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 22:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3150242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkgrasshopper/pseuds/Pinkgrasshopper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More than scheduled Saturdays and Sundays, it was these spontaneous little meetings Rei looked forward to the most, one buzz of his phone in the middle of swim practice and the words to get on his computer as soon as he came home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Welcome Redundancy

Rei could feel a light spring in his step when he left Iwatobi school premises that afternoon, and he would cringe at the mental cliché if he had a moment to himself, but too many happy thoughts crowded his mind to leave room for self-chastising.

The message from Rin hadn’t exactly been a surprise; they tried to keep in touch often, their days filled with texts and snapchats and even impromptu video calls every now and then, but even a two-hour difference meant they didn’t routinely have much time to go online and hang out after all daily obligations had been taken care of. Their webcam dates were usually reserved for the weekends, but more than scheduled Saturdays and Sundays, it was these spontaneous little meetings Rei looked forward to the most, one buzz of his phone in the middle of swim practice and the words to get on his computer as soon as he came home. There was a sense of urgency to it, a desperate need to be with each other, and a welcome reminder that no distance could put a damper on the strength of their feelings.

His backpack tossed carelessly to a side of his room the moment he crossed the threshold, he dove straight for his desk and pulled up his laptop, and he had to chuckle to himself when the request for a video conference popped up as soon as he logged on. Someone was just as eager as him, it seemed.

"Yo, Rei!" Rin called out from the other side of the screen, toothy grin ever in place. "You’re late!"

"I don’t think it’s possible for one to be late when no time had been previously scheduled, Rin-san," Though Rei employed his best efforts in keeping an annoyed face, that stubborn little smile just would not relent. "Is this a pitiful display of impatience, or did you just miss me that much?"

"Hah, says the guy who can’t stop panting!” He jabbed back, and Rei had to scramble to wipe drops of sweat off his forehead. “What, did you run the last stretch between the train station and your place?"

"That’s— that’s only because I couldn’t do my usual jog this morning!"

"Uh-huh, sure, I believe you."

Rei took a sudden, pointed interest in a speckle of dust tainting the left arrow key on his laptop, and that meant he was too busy adding “cleaning keyboard” to his mental to-do list to see Rin leaning in closer on the other side of the screen and breaking out a huge, victorious grin, chin held up on his knuckles. Except he totally did, and dared to steal a glance or two from the corner of his eyes, both the stubborn smile and the deep shade of red on his cheeks refusing to abandon him. It was amazing, really, how even from a distance they could keep a comfortable silence, like there weren’t two computer screens and an entire ocean between them.

"So,” Rei took the initiative, knowing they may as well waste the rest of their date on furtive looks and adoring smiles otherwise. “What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh, it’s what I wanted to _show you,_ actually!”

Hands on both sides of his own laptop, Rin zoomed out to capture his choice of outfit for the day, a lavender fleece sweater with small embroidery work in white around the collar that an untrained eye couldn’t quite make out. Yet, despite the poor image resolution and his own eyesight limitations, Rei was a hundred percent sure those were butterflies— because Rin had finally stopped moving the camera around, and because he had seen them before, live.

"I got your package!"

"I can see that, but, um-"

"What?” Laptop back on his desk, Rin hooked an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “I know it looks ridiculous and all, but it was a gift from you, so you don’t get to complain about it.”

"Of course not, I have impeccable taste in fashion— _and it doesn’t look ridiculous!!_ ” A moment to regain his composure later, he went on. “Regardless, that is not what I was going to say.”

"Then?"

"You’re _wearing_ it.”

"Yeah? Guess what, genius, that’s what people are supposed to do with clothes!"

“I know, but-“

“You want me to take it off for you?”

“That’s-“ Without another chance for protest, Rin began to tug and pull at the fashion disaster, and those two inches of newly exposed toned abs might have been enough to make Rei forget how to breathe for a whole second. “Rin-san, compose yourself!! That’s not what I was going to say at all!”

“Pity, that. What is it, then?”

Rei huffed, finding it incredibly hard to keep his cool with Rin flaunting that lewd smirk right before his nose. “That is _my_ sweater.”

"Wait, so you’re giving me your hand-me-downs now? I don’t quite fit the broke college student stereotype that badly, I’ll have you know."

"I’m perfectly aware of that, but this is not a charity drive, either!” Forget about keeping his cool, he was most definitely yelling his frustrations out by now. “Rin-san, I thought you would remember— this was your idea, after all! I originally wanted to send you a stuffed butterfly as a gift, but you claimed it would be too embarrassing, yet you still wanted something personal to keep you company and to remember me by— which, for the record, I find rather upsetting! Honestly, I know physical distance takes a toll on both of us, but until we can meet again, isn’t the memory of me enough? Why do you—"

As much as Rei could have ranted his heart out until the break of dawn, Rin’s bursting laughter cut him off short again. Later, Rei would think back on it and find it adorable, but right now his reaction was something else entirely.

“ _Why are you laughing?!_ ”

"I’m laughing at you, you dolt!” Rin was all but bending over and wheezing in his fits of amusement, but he still had it in him to throw an air flick at the screen. “Jeez, I was just yanking your chain, silly. I know exactly what the sweater was for.”

"There was absolutely nothing funny about that!"

"Oh, I beg to differ. I should be recording this so you could see the faces you make…!"

“ _Rin-san!!_ ”

"All right, all right, I won’t!" He decided it was time to drop the teasing, both because he wanted to placate a distressed four-eyes and for his own peace of mind. "Seriously, though, I really appreciate that you did it. Thanks, Rei."

There it was, the smile that rivaled a thousand suns. Prolonged direct contact with it could surely turn him blind, and Rei had to look away if he even wanted to stand a chance at pretending to be mad, all huffing and pouting.

"Hmph. I suppose you must appreciate the gesture, at least,” He began again, eyes still avoiding the screen. “You are still wearing the ridiculous sweater, after all.”

"Well, yeah, I wanted you to see how it looked on me."

"So much that you’d risking getting caught in my so-called questionable fashion choices?"

A pause, and it was Rin’s turn to scratch the paint off his keyboard. “My flatmate isn’t home yet, so it’s safe. ‘Sides, it’s kinda cozy, gaudy and all.”

Bless the kindness of his heart (and perhaps a certain level of annoyance prompted by repeated rasping sounds), Rei wanted to point out that all that scratching could seriously compromise the aesthetics of his laptop, but Rin shifted in his seat again, a little less natural, a little more stiff, and that snatched his attention instead. For someone who claimed to be cozy, Rin looked like anything but— and that was when Rei realized why.

"Rin-san?"

"Yeah?"

"It’s _summer_ in Australia right now.”

Bull’s eye.

"Y-yeah, and yet here I am, wearing ugly fleece for you! You should be more grateful, see!”

"Oh, I am,” It was true, yes, but there was also a ghost of a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m just wondering if that’s the only reason why your face is looking so flushed right now."

"That’s- It’s a million degrees outside, I’m burning up in here!"

"Sure, I believe you."

Rei was fairly sure that bracing himself was no suitable way to lessen the combined effects of the Australian summer and heavy fleece, yet he kept quiet about it, even as Rin squirmed uncomfortably in his seat and looked for any other corner of the room where he could train his eyes on. Even now, he still struggled with saying certain truths.

"I didn’t want to take it off,” Rin mumbled, barely loud enough for Rei to hear. "It has your smell all over it, and… if I close my eyes, I can pretend you’re here with me."

"Rin-san…"

More powerful than his smile, it was this vulnerable look that could easily pierce through all facades and tear down any pretense of annoyance still left in Rei. Rin was stronger now, and his confidence was a lot more genuine than the bravado he put up when Rei first met him, but he still had his moments of weakness every now and then, a little bit of homesickness and missing his friends. It was only natural, expected, even, and it didn’t take much for him to spring right back to sheer energy and resolve, but it was a nonetheless heartbreaking wait until then.

He felt a familiar prickling in his eyes, and for a moment he even considered lounging forth and taking the screen in his arms, but thankfully Rin broke their silence and prevented any further moments of mutual embarrassment.

"Well, anyway. It’s just for a little while longer, right?"

"Right,” Rei poked at the inner corners of his eyes, and his fingertip was suddenly wet. “Your break is in around three weeks, isn’t it?"

_Two weeks, four days and eighteen hours,_ not that Rin was going to admit to having been literally counting the minutes until he could see his boyfriend again. “Around that, yeah. You’d better clear up your schedule for me.”

"I suppose I can move one or two things around."

It was hard to fight the urge to reach forward and touch and kiss – oh, did they want to kiss – but all they could do was to convey feelings through looks and hopeful smiles, every heartbeat bringing them closer to the moment of reunion. At times like this, no more words were needed, yet Rin still wanted to say them, anyway, wanted to make sure Rei knew he was always thinking about him, that he couldn’t wait until they could be together again. Wanted to spew the painfully obvious and say he missed him.

Just as he parted his lips, a voice called out from the adjacent room. It seemed the world conspired against his honesty.

"Was that your flatmate?"

"Yeah, he just got home,” Rin rubbed the back of his neck, only half thankful for missing his cue. “I’d better go and change out of this before he thinks I’m having a fever or something."

"All right. We’ll talk again on Saturday, then?"

"Same time and place," _Just for now,_ he wanted to add, but only smiled instead. “Saturday it is.”

It would be a terrible idea to say their _I love you’s_ now, when their voices could still waver and a single drop could break the dams, so they didn’t; it was something better kept for their goodnight texts, with the small comfort of warm pillows at their disposal, and safely away from the risk of a third party scrutiny. It was one of those things that didn’t need saying, but a welcome redundancy, anyway.

"Hey, Rei?"

"Yes, Rin-san?"

"Next time—" One hand still hovering over the touchpad, the other clutched at dyed fleece, and Rin gave himself a sort of half-hug, a little more awkward than his smile. "Next time, make sure these won’t be just empty sleeves, okay?"

The next time they met, there would be spine-snapping hugs and public cuddling in ugly sweaters, and all flustered faces would be blamed on the Japanese winter. Not a single soul would believe them.


End file.
